The Pandemic Accelerates
a Wave of White Flight in OPS
Many big cities grapple with declining student enrollments. But in Omaha’s largest public school district, the racial divide between who leaves and who stays is stark. Bridget Fogarty, The Reader/El Perico’s Report for America Corps member, writes for The Hechinger Report, a national nonprofit newsroom
covering innovation and inequality in education.
An alternate version of this story, which Reed Moore
ran on Feb. 17, is published in The Reader.
Announcements from the
Desk of Reed Moore …
- The newsletter is getting a fresh new design starting Monday, March 21. Prepare yourself for a sleeker, more streamlined look. 😎
- Given the decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Reed Moore will be cutting down COVID-19 coverage. Here’s the plan:
- This will be the last full week of the “By the Numbers” and “Reed Moore’s COVID-19 Roundup.” Starting next week, Reed Moore will feature these sections only on Wednesdays.
- The Thing To Do will return on Monday, March 21.
- Reed Moore will continue to keep a close eye on COVID-19. If another highly contagious and/or dangerous variant arrives, more thorough coronavirus coverage will return. To help prevent that from happening, don’t throw caution to the wind! Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, wear a mask, and steer clear of superspreaders. 😷
Questions? Comments? Email Reed Moore at news@thereader.com.
Harper’s Index Facts of the Day
- Percentage decrease between 2019 and 2020 in the value of the wellness industry: 11
- Portion of U.S. adults who say their physical health is “excellent”: 1/4
Sources: Global Wellness Institute (Miami); Gallup (Washington)
Reed Moore’s Daily Rundown
Happy Vaccination Day
Today’s news hopes you’ve already been vaccinated and boostered. But if not, click the “Be COVID Aware” graphic below to schedule a free vaccine appointment: Agrochemical contamination in Nebraska’s water might be killing children, one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year is Carmen Tapio, founder and CEO of the largest Black-owned business in Nebraska, and Lt. Gov. Mike Foley endorses GOP gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, much to the chagrin of Gov. Pete Ricketts — Foley’s boss — who says Herbster would be “a terrible governor.”
Reed Moore’s COVID-19 Roundup
- Bells ring 488 times at Bryan Health’s east campus — once for every COVID-19 death at Bryan.
- The Douglas County Board of Health votes in opposition to taking epidemic and pandemic decision power away from Health Director Lindsay Huse, reports KETV.
- You can watch the Douglas County Board of Health’s monthly meeting by clicking here.
5.8% of Douglas County residents are partially vaccinated.
For nationwide COVID-19 case
and vaccination trends, click here.
Around Omaha
- Agrochemical contamination in Nebraska’s water might be killing children.
- Omaha and its private partners want public input on the new library, the design of which will be led by HDR Architecture.
- One of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year is Carmen Tapio, founder and CEO of North End Teleservices, the largest Black-owned business in Nebraska. Tapio also founded Nebraska Black Women United.
- “In the Jewish community, [shootings are] not so out of sight”: The FBI Omaha Field Office provides active shooter training to local religious congregations.
- Unison, a San Francisco-based fintech company, is opening offices at 13th and Farnam streets.
Around Nebraska
- Lt. Gov. Mike Foley endorses GOP gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, much to the chagrin of Gov. Pete Ricketts — Foley’s boss — who says Herbster would be “a terrible governor.” Ricketts is endorsing Republican Jim Pillen.
- The state’s unemployment rate is the lowest in Nebraska history and is tied with Utah for lowest in the U.S.
- Latest in the Legislature: More property tax relief might be added to a bill that would decrease state income taxes. The Judiciary Committee votes not to move forward three bills that would restrict or ban abortion. As lawmakers debate the budget plan, they discuss Nebraska’s prison overcrowding crisis. Nebraska plans to put aside $60 million to quell pandemic-related learning loss, according to Gov. Pete Ricketts.
This Week in Your Local Government
The Omaha City Council meets to approve a preliminary plat for a redevelopment at Saddle Creek Road and Pacific Street, in addition to a half-million dollar agreement with HDR Architecture to design improvements
at the new library locations.
Read local government reporter Anton Johnson’s full article for The Reader here.
The Daily Funny
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